JCIN UNILAG Partners AFRIMUN to Promote Diplomacy, Leadership Skills

By Oluwatoyin Adewale

Junior Chamber International, University of Lagos (JCIN UNILAG), has partnered with Africa International Model United Nations (AFRIMUN) to equip young people with diplomacy and leadership skills through AFRIMUN 2026.

The conference, themed “From Discord to Dialogue: Fostering Cooperation Amidst Global Challenges,” was held on Friday, October 2, 2026, at the Faculty of Social Sciences Lecture Theatre, University of Lagos (UNILAG).

The event marked the first time AFRIMUN was hosted by a higher institution, with UNILAG serving as the host institution.

In her keynote address, Damilola Agbalajobi emphasised the importance of dialogue and cooperation in addressing disagreements and global challenges.

She urged participants to acknowledge differences, listen to opposing perspectives and negotiate competing interests rather than allow disagreements to escalate into conflicts.

“Genuine dialogue is more demanding. It requires us to recognise disagreements, listen across differences, confront injustice, negotiate competing interests,” she said.

Agbalajobi stressed the need for leadership capable of managing disagreements without resorting to violence, exclusion or dehumanisation.

“The critical question is whether we possess the leadership, vision, or political imagination, necessary to manage the disagreement without violence, exclusion, and dehumanisation,” she said.

That is the distance we must travel from discourse to dialogue.”

The conference featured diplomatic simulations, negotiations and discussions on international and African issues, providing participants with practical exposure to diplomacy, leadership and public discourse.

The programme also highlighted the role of dialogue and cooperation in resolving disagreements and promoting multilateral engagement among young people.

Dignitaries at the conference included the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academics and Research, UNILAG, Professor Matthew Olusoji; Simon Field, Deputy Head of Mission at the British Deputy High Commission, who delivered the theme address; and Professor Damilola Agbalajobi, a lecturer at Obafemi Awolowo University, who delivered the keynote address.